Book Reviews & Thoughts

Another Day – David Levithan

What a cliffhanger! What a story! It’s high-concept, it’s modern, and it’s incredibly unique. I’m surprised it took me so long to finally get around to reading it. David Levithan is a master at banter, simple conversation, and the sweetest of love stories.

Synopsis

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person…wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Review

What a cliffhanger! What a story! It’s high-concept, it’s modern, and it’s incredibly unique. I’m surprised it took me so long to finally get around to reading it. David Levithan is a master at banter, simple conversation, and the sweetest of love stories.

I read A’s side of the story over three years ago, so I definitely forgot a lot of the content. That being said, things definitely came back to me while reading Rhiannon’s side of the story. The perfect day with Justin. Kelsea and her dark perspective. Nathan and his freak out. And the perfect, perfect conclusion with Alexander. Or was it really a perfect conclusion? The last bit threw me for a loop, and makes me eagerly anticipate next year’s sequel.

David Levithan brings the concept of a “soul” to life in the most magical and beautiful way. When you look in people’s eyes, the other things start to fade away. Get to know the driver, not the car. Race, gender, socioeconomic class, beauty… how much of it matters? In truth, Rhiannon’s perspective is very much a realistic take on it: we like what we like. Everyone is attracted to certain things, and no one can fault us for that. It’s not cruel that she’ll love A as Alexander but not as a big guy or any sort of girl. David Levithan can illuminate bigoted people with this book, but he can also moderate ultra-liberal SJWs as well. Let people live for themselves. Don’t inflict any harm. And make some time for the people that matter in your life.

This book felt a little bit like revisiting an old friend. I can’t wait for this story to wrap up properly.